His Redeemer's Kiss

by Diana Castilleja

  Golden lashes lowered to hide the reaction he felt nonetheless. Then he leaned forward, touching her lips with his. “Lily, you are perfect.” Tenderness welled up, nearly clogging his throat as he sipped at their luscious softness. She was fragile while she was strong. She was beautiful even though her body had been abused. She was wild, yet could be so gentle. She was a woman of contradictions. “I love you,” he said against her mouth, sharing the enormity of what it meant through his touch, his thoughts, his heart. Wave after wave of emotion rolled over him, sweet warmth drawing him tighter, closer to the angel beneath his lips.

  Maybe through all those dark years of loneliness he’d paid his penance and this was his reward—a soul to love again. All he knew was he had been blessed. Death no longer beckoned to him. Life unlike any he’d known lay before him. He was going to grasp it with both hands and hold on tight.

  Letting his hands roam at will, they found the valleys and peaks of her body, caressing her until she relaxed and bowed wantonly for his touch. He envisioned the joy of loving her every night. So sweet, so tempting in the moonlight. In the wild grasses. On the sandy beaches beneath a full moon. He groaned seeing it, and wanted it all.

  The sharp drag of gentle nails scored his chest, roaming to his shoulders and his arms, drawing his hungers higher. A drawn hiss of air slipped out, his jaw tight as sparks rose in the wake of her touch. Everything about him tightened with wanting. Leaving her kisses behind, he slid lower, making a measured path to the curve of her chin, licking and kissing with engrossed attention, filling the craving of her tantalizing taste on his tongue.

  He noted the texture of her skin, feeling the way she heated beneath his touch, instead of the roughness of it. She trembled with awakening desires, her body writhing in undulating waves of desire. There was no way to pretend the marks crisscrossing her body weren’t there, but they didn’t change his view of her either. While some were obvious, most were fine and faint. Her breasts were still full and round, with a trim body and gently sloping hips that fed into sexy legs and delicate feet. Where she saw ugly, he could only find beauty.

  Gliding along her body, he worshipped her the only way he knew how. A little at a time until the only thought between either was the wonderful rise and fall of their desire. The darkness of night cocooned them, two bodies, two hearts. There was enough light from the stars outside her open window to see every flicker of pleasure that flitted over her face. He could hear her low moans and the sharp gasps, and he strived to create more for her. Everywhere he touched, she shivered. Everywhere he tasted, he found sweet heaven.

  He rolled her onto her stomach, and she moved with hardly a resistant whimper. Then, he licked the length of her spine. All her latest cuts had healed, and not one would scar. The patterning of abuse on her back was denser than on her front, and it was hard to let go of the rage that crushed him when he looked at what she’d suffered. He closed his eyes to not let the wash of anger distract his intent. Soon, the men who had hurt her would pay, whether she said otherwise or not.

  With gentle pressure, he lifted her where he kneeled, finding her heat. Her gasps were stronger, growing needier, hungrier by the second. There was absolutely no hesitation, and there never would be again. She was completely his. Caressing her, he took her, filling her body as deep as he could go.

  His shoulders bunched as heat and tightness enveloped his length. The blankets bunched into her hands as she rocked with him, following his pace, his strokes taking them both higher than ever before. Shudders rolled down her body when he raked her with arousing nails and she groaned and mewled, as absorbed as ever.

  “Joaquin,” she whimpered, a heated plea. She rocked into him and he felt his control slipping.

  “Are you sure?”

  “God, yes!” She twisted hard, wiggling against him, pulsing all around him.

  With a handful of her hair in his palm, he pulled her taut against his pelvis, grinding against her body. She cried out in passion, delirious with sensations.

  “No more gentle,” she begged, pushing harder, needing. Hard gasps were the only sound in the room.

  He didn’t argue. He didn’t wait. With a commanding strength, he took her over the edge. Her entire body twitched, aching. Needing. Over and over he thrust into her until he felt the tremors of her release building. They grew, and together as one, they shook. Her hands were clenched to the bed, his hands pinning her to him as though he feared she would disappear. He spiraled higher with each enraptured thrust, being carried on the ecstasy of sensation traveling like a livewire between their two bodies.

  He jerked when she cried out. Her entire length locked on his shaft, pulsing around him like a velvet glove as she flew over the crest of the mountain. With a low roar of sheer bliss, he followed right after.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The next night, she read to Tabitha like she did every night. She hadn’t spoken again to Lily, and if she was awake, she wasn’t letting anyone know it. With a sigh, Lily left her friend, more worried than ever, but unable to do more for her. At least she knew she had friends nearby and help if she needed it. There had to be something for Tabitha to live for. She hoped they found it soon. She was refusing to eat anything substantial, refusing even broths, and Houston made killer soup.

  She licked her lips. That almost sounded edible. She decided she’d snoop in the kitchen and see what was available.

  “Where is everyone?” she asked Tani when she reached the kitchen. She wrinkled her nose at the leftover scents of chicken parmigiana, wanting to backpedal out of the room like something had died in there. No luck for soup. Or anything else if her stomach’s opinion was to be counted for anything.

  “Nathan came back tonight.” Tani walked out, leading them both into the living room, which gave Lily a respite from the strong aromas. “He couldn’t find David, Hawthorne, or Tenorio. They’re doing reconnaissance around the house.”

  Lily shook her head. “Sounds like some bad military movie.”

  Tani nodded. “I’d have to agree with you.” She sat down and offered a spot to Lily, studying her with a worried frown. “How are you feeling?”

  Lily blinked, then pushed her hair from her face, not prepared for her directness. Lily guessed it wasn’t hard to figure out Tani knew what had happened, and was happening, to Lily. “More tired tonight. The smell of dinner wasn’t agreeing with me. I should be starving, but if that was dinner, I’m screwed.” She couldn’t stop the slump of her shoulders. She was tired.

  “This hasn’t been easy on you. Stolen from one life to be thrust into an equally foreign one. Have you tried any juice? That helped me.”

  “I’ve managed some water, but that’s it. I can’t even stomach tea.” She leaned back, holding out the waist of her jeans. “My jeans are getting loose! I’d complain, but it’s almost a good thing in that regard.”

  “Stop it. You are not fat.”

  She inwardly groaned. “Quit listening in! Hello! Private conversation going on here.” Her miffed tone carried quite well between them. A wave of support and adoration bathed her, then she knew he’d left her alone. Unless he was being especially sneaky, or she wasn’t expecting it, she always knew when he was in her thoughts now. Which was pretty often.

  Tani put a hand on Lily’s arm. She didn’t jerk, hardly noticed it as out of the norm. Was she becoming more balanced? Able to withstand touches from a friend without wincing? She hoped so. Right now, she needed a friend badly.

  “Lily, you’re running out of time. I know you are mad at Joaquin. I was furious with Diego. It’s not an easy way to live. Not to be punny, but at times, it just sucks.”

  Lily giggled and Tani shrugged with a disparaging smirk. “There’s a lot you will be giving up. No one will lie to you about that. But there’s one thing you will have for a very long time.” Tani paused, her hand squeezing with warmth and understanding on her forearm where she still held on, offering strength and support. “Joaquin’s absolute love. He’s not going anywhere w
ithout you, and you aren’t ready to leave us. We don’t want either of you to leave either. Except maybe for the honeymoon.”

  “Honeymoon?” Lily squeaked. This time, she plopped to the back of the couch, boneless.

  “Well, adjustment period sounds so…cold.”

  Lily felt herself blanch. Searching the ceiling, she asked, “Was it hard?” She hoped she was ready to hear the truth.

  Tani curled up for a little girl talk, facing Lily, her feet beneath her. “At first, yes. I haven’t even had a year to come to grips with this. But, Lily, the only other option you have is to let your body die.”

  “What about what I’m doing here? Kathy and Amy? How do you keep them from learning the truth?”

  “It’s the only lie we’ve told, and before Joaquin burst in on you, you were part of it. No one not directly affected knows the truth. We…” She lifted a hand and ran her fingers stiffly against her temple, then let it drop, acting a bit too cheerful to hide the guilty look in her blue eyes. “We blur the truth. Amy, Kathy, and now Claire, believe without a doubt our room is at the top of the stairs. They see us go in and out of it all the time, but in truth…” She drew a breath, a seemingly more natural affectation for her than for Joaquin, she noted. “We hardly, if ever, step foot in that room.”

  “You don’t eat anything either, do you?” She’d watched them and eaten food at the table with them plenty of times, hadn’t she?

  Tani shook her head. “Diego can stomach it better than I can if he has to. Age, for him, makes a difference.”

  “So all of it was, like, a mirage? Something we only think we’re seeing?”

  “Yes. We’re very careful around all of you just the same.”

  Lily fell silent, her thoughts running like sparrows, skittering from one side of her mind to the other, an endless barrage of questions and worries. “And how do you…” She couldn’t even make herself say it.

  Tani was again considerately supportive. “Honestly, Diego had to help me in the beginning. I think it’s really a natural aversion. None of us just fell into the I vant to suck vour blood lifestyle.” Lily laughed behind her hand at Tani’s exaggerated Boris Karloff attempt with the raised hands and haunting expression to go with it. “He couldn’t do it, Nathan couldn’t. I couldn’t. I don’t know Joaquin well enough to ask, but he seems pretty even keeled. He probably didn’t wake up just knowing anymore than the rest of us.” Her expression fell serious. “Diego thinks that’s one of the keys to the difference between them and the Brethren as a whole. You either wake up starving and go bonkers for it, or you don’t, and stay sane.”

  Lily snickered. “Kind of simplistic, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah, but I’ve always wondered why there were differences. At least for as long as I’ve known Diego.” Her eyes shuttered for a moment as if thinking, then cleared. She continued. “You probably don’t know this, but I met Diego’s ‘maker’. He attacked me.”

  “No!”

  Tani’s expression went to abashed pretty quickly. “Well, it was after I attacked him first, but it’s where I first noticed the differences. Brakka was repugnant, absolutely vile to touch, to talk to.”

  “So there are differences,” Lily said, her mind grabbing onto the discussion problem in front of her, also remembering her not too distant introduction to Kurt, not quite ready to tackle her situation en masse.

  “Diego and I discussed trying to find out what they could be, but then David turned up missing, and we found all of you.” She waved her hand to include Lily.

  “I want to help. I can do this. It’s actually one of the things I was studying in college. Micro and macro dynamics fascinate me.”

  “Like goldfish in a bowl?”

  Lily laughed, completely relaxed again. “In a basic way of explanation, yes.”

  Tani’s blue eyes brightened. “That is cool! It would help us immensely, especially, if for some reason, more like Joaquin trip over us and decide to stick around. Can I help?”

  “Of course! It was your idea first.” Lily crossed her arms, leaning again to stare at the raised ceiling. “But that means I have to go through with it. Or die.” An inelegant sound escaped her throat. “Not much of a choice.” She let out a suffering sigh. “No more hotdogs, or sunrises. No more ice cream.” She sat up with a snap. “Oh no! No more chocolate.” She couldn’t help the pout, smacking the couch with an annoyed movement. “Man, I loved that best about the holidays, more chocolate and desserts than you could shake a stick at.”

  “If it helps, you won’t actually crave any of it,” she offered with another warm hand squeeze. “They smell like anything else, cut grass, a sun-baked beach, chocolate torte.” She rolled a shoulder for emphasis.

  “Don’t ever equate chocolate torte to a beach,” she shot back, aghast, albeit not entirely meaning it. Sinking into more worry, she drew on her bottom lip, pinning it between her teeth for a moment. “How long do I have?”

  Any frivolity was dropped like a lead weight out of the air.

  “It takes three exchanges. The next will give you a boost, but will also begin the physical changes. Your timeline is shortened. You’ll begin to feel the differences sooner. They’re more noticeable, too.”

  Lily rubbed a hand down her face, chilled and unsure, but not seeing any way out of making the necessary, if not the only, choice. “Joaquin?”

  “Yes, lovely.”

  “You’re one hundred percent positive you want to be stuck with me?”

  “I’d be the luckiest man I know if I could have you.”

  “For eternity? You’re a glutton for punishment.”

  Rich laughter flowed over her. “Eternity would be a nice place to start.”

  She rolled her head to Tani, aware she was more fatigued than she’d thought. It was frightening in a lot of ways to know she was, quite literally, dying. “Thanks, Tani. I’m glad I got to talk about it at least a little.”

  Tani rose up on her knees and opened her arms. Lily fell into them willingly, wrapping her own arms around the petite, raven-haired woman. “I’m glad to have you as a sister. It sucks being the only girl vamp in all of the Brethren.”

  Lily leaned slack, utterly shocked. “Really? The only one?”

  She nodded. “None of them even knew we could be. Men seem to be the principal offspring.”

  “Wow. Does that make you, like, a queen or something?”

  Tani blinked. “Good God, I hope not!” Then, they both burst out laughing.

  * * * *

  Lily stumbled out of bed the next night, holding a hand to her head as the room spun. Closing her eyes, she collapsed on the edge until everything cleared up for her. It took her a while to find the energy to get dressed and cleaned up to make herself presentable. A light smile of pleasure rose when she reached for one of her sweatshirts and found none in her closet. All had been replaced with feminine blouses and silken creations—every last one with long sleeves. For her. She didn’t doubt who had done it. The effort wasn’t lost on her either.

  Her head snapped around when a loud racket snaked its way up to the rooms from the first floor. Dressed enough to face people, she opened her door, able to hear more. Turning to search out the window she saw the sky was streaking purple and orange. Sunset was coming. It helped her ignore the chill slicing over her calm at the sound from downstairs.

  David was home.

  “Where is she?” He was screaming frantically. “Where’s Tani?” Lily heard him clearly as she approached the top of the steps to join them.

  “Calm down, David. She’s asleep.” Houston had a hand on his shoulder, trying to snap him out of his wild state. David was jerking to throw his hand off, but wasn’t able to, too weak to be effective against Houston’s stronger hold. Sweat and grime coated David’s face. His eyes were swollen with large blue bruises discoloring most of his face. Lily wouldn’t have been the least surprised if there was internal and deep bone damage. Shakes rolled down his body with every breath.

  �
�Come sit down, David.” Laney motioned him to a chair and Houston all but pushed him into it whether he wanted to sit or not. He whimpered on a gasped breath, fighting to not slump.

  “How did you get home?” Houston asked.

  Laney shared a worried and concerned look with Houston and Lily. He was there alone. He’d walked right in the front door, as if he’d never been missing. It gave Lily another shiver of unease.

  Amy approached with a large bowl and a washcloth to tend to David’s face. Dried blood was caked into his hair and anywhere there had been free space.

  “He made me walk in.” He was shaking and, beneath all the blood and bruising, every visible inch was pale. Gasps rocked his body, and each deep one made his frame roll with shudders of pain. “He couldn’t—couldn’t come any closer. He tried all day. Shoved me out.”

  Amy cautiously dabbed at his face, but he winced with every touch regardless. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, blatantly apologetic for causing him any discomfort.